The Night Part IV (Daredevil)
by marussek
Summary: Daredevil starts training but still has to come up with a solution to a problem.


Part X

"First, we'll start with breathing." He tried to focus on just the area where they were sitting, a quiet rooftop away from most traffic, closer to the water. He'd come here often to meditate, to recharge, although sometimes the smells from the river could be particularly strong in the summer. He had learned to tune that out.

"I know how to breathe! What is this, some kind of new age crap?" She sighed, exasperated. He had a long way to go to teach her how to relax, how to disengage, how to focus. Still, this wouldn't be as hard as it was for him, overwhelmed by an entire world of sounds and smells, she already had learned to tune out distractions to see the world around her.

"It's part of the focusing process, we start with our breathing, once we can control our breathing, we can control other senses, including your empathic sense. Haven't you ever tried yoga?" He thought gentle ribbing would at least relax her tense frame. She had strong feelings and they had to be tempered.

"Ha! Yeah, not in my neighborhood! You'd get laughed out of Hell's Kitchen for that kind of nonsense!" She was smiling, he could sense it.

"Well, at night, when you can't get to sleep, I want you to try what we learn today." It helped him at night, when the world became too much, counting breaths and drifting off.

"I've always had trouble sleeping, I mean it's no surprise, if someone isn't beating his girlfriend, someone else is firing off a gun, followed by screams and sirens. It's no joke this city never sleeps!" She was looking out over the city, he could feel her move. He was using a gentle tone and she was already drifting.

"Okay, first breathe in through your left nostril, slowly counting to four, then release your breath through your right nostril, slowly counting to six." He again modulated his tone so she would have to focus on his lowered voice to hear him, canceling out all other sounds.

"How the heck to I breathe through one nostril? You want me to plug one side of my nose?" She was still sounding a bit amused.

"Just imagine it, like imagining a wind on a windy day. You can imagine it in your mind, right?" His voice was a bit lower now, she would have to really be quiet to hear him, and she was also modeling his low tone with one of her own.

"Okay, yeah, I can do that. I imagine stories as I'm falling asleep most nights, it's how I forget where I'm at." She started focusing on her breaths.

He had to think of some way to help her find a place to live. He had considered Foggy but she didn't need someone always being aware she was a woman. He'd also considered Karen but Karen would notice Kylie sneaking out at night and have questions, questions he didn't want to come up. Part of him wanted her entirely out of Hell's Kitchen, maybe going to college to become a social worker or anything that got her out of this place. At the same time, this world was all she knew, even if she was very brave, she would have trouble adjusting to another society. He continued listening to her breathe, heard her heart slowing as it should.

Part XI

"Okay, keep slowly breathing and just focus on one thing, the sound of the crickets." Keeping his voice a soothing melody, he described other gentle sounds just under the radar, like the sound of a car door opening, the sound of a mother singing to her child just below them by an open window. The sound of scraping from the other side of the street. Scraping?

He came to full alert, someone was trying to break into a home. Shit.

"Lesson's over for now." He fluidly got to his feet and went over to the fire escape, he would have to move fast.

"You're not leaving me behind! I want to help!" She immediately lost all the peace she had gained in their first session.

"No, he's armed, this will be dangerous. Just stay here and watch, in case he has a friend, and yell if you see one." He knew there was no friend but if he kept her occupied, she would stay back. He felt her relent.

"Okay! I'll keep watch!" She stepped back from the edge as he swung away.

He approached from behind just as the window pane fell. He caught the guy mid-reach and grabbed him, dragging him away and down the fire escape. They guy pulled his guy but Matt grabbed it and threw it up to the roof, and decked him in that sweet spot on the jaw. They guy immediately sagged like a bag of rotten potatoes (and he smelled just as rotten, addicts tended to give up on bodily hygiene). Matt lowered him to the ground and left him by the trash. This guy would wake up with a headache in the morning.

He went back to the roof but she was gone. He wasn't surprised, she didn't like waiting. He needed to regroup and find a way to help her have a meaningful, whole life, not this back alley fighting that led to loneliness. He could handle it but how far was she willing to take it?

Part XII

Morning again at the office, Foggy had a hangover.

With a gravelly voice, he said, "Hey Matt! Sorry I'm late! Things got out of hand last night downtown."

"Would it have anything to do with Karen not being here also?" She was usually here before him with a fresh pot of coffee brewing and sometimes even Danish from the bakery on the corner.

"Yeah, she was just giving me advice since things aren't working out with Marci and we ended up drowning my sorrows." Foggy sounded regretful but Matt was sure they had fun.

"Sounds like you drowned more than your sorrows! Well, when you're awake, I'm still trying to think about how to help Kylie, I think she has potential if we can just find the right place to put her." Today might not be a good day for changes, especially if Karen came in the office as bedraggled.

"Man, look Matt, she obviously doesn't want our help! I'm sorry," he shook his head, immediately regretting it. Matt could feel the throbbing. "I know you care, heck I care, too, I just don't think we can fix everyone's life. We aren't superheroes. Well, not really!"

"Hey, let's go get some coffee and put some food in you, we'll think of something. No one deserves to live in a moldy broken basement that's one step away from being homeless." He would never forget that smell, that feeling of hopeless despair, he felt down in the depths of that building.

"Oh, yeah, okay! You buying? I lost my wallet last night…" Foggy was a mess.

Matt laughed, "What am I going to do with you? You need a keeper!"

"Says the blind man!" They both started laughing as they went to the elevator.


End file.
